Increase seen in worldwide smartphone sales

Consumers across the world might be more likely to compare phone plans on smartphones, as figures show that global sales have increased.

During the fourth quarter of 2011, a total of 149 million units were sold, marking a rise of 47.3 per cent compared to the corresponding period of 2010, Gartner revealed.

As a result, smartphones accounted for 31 per cent of all mobile device sales, rising from 58 per cent in 2010.

In the final quarter of last year, Apple boasted a market share of 23.8 per cent, overtaking LG to become the third-largest smartphone seller in the world.

Annette Zimmermann, principal research analyst at Gartner, commented: "Expectations for 2012 are for the overall market to grow by about seven per cent, while smartphone growth is expected to slow to around 39 per cent."

Sales of Nokia smartphones fell by 8.7 per cent in the fourth quarter of last year, with Samsung narrowing the gap with its competitor in terms of market share.

Telstra marked the 25th anniversary of the launch of its first mobile phone on February 23, which weighed 0.75kg and cost around $5,000.